Unbelievable
by lalez
Summary: Shelby and her inner workings leading up to and after Clay's confessions
1. Friendly advice

**Okay here it goes. I am a sucker for Drama and this situation just drew me in. I guess you could blame Shelby for not realizing something was going on sooner but hey she is just a human. So this is my take on how she stumbles around in her mind in episodes 2x18 to 2x20 (in the end). Will probably be short. Italics is more or less directly from the show. (Which I sadly have no rights to)**

* * *

 _Clay is struggling because of work ... That thing that is happening between you two. You've got to stop or so help me god, I will make your life a living hell!_

"Caleb is ridiculous, right? Yes, Clay and I have become more friendly with each other but that is to be expected, work together for crying out loud."

Shelby is in her and Alex's room and trying to decipher her own feelings. Is there something going on between her and Clay or is it only in Caleb's mind? In the end she comes to a half conclusion:

"Pacing around is not helping! How in hell did I manage to land in this stupid situation again? Caleb is an idiot. There is nothing going on. And now I have to get some rest before I have to get up and in the damn van with Clay. (Caleb is going to love that, when he finds out.)"

Shelby is battling against sleep the whole time in the van and sometime around 4 am she drifts off to a dreamless slumber.

"Please, turn off the alarm."

 _Yes?... See you back at the farm._

"Crap. I have fallen asleep?! How am I getting out of this again?"

 _I am the worst agent ever..._

When Clay hands her the coffee and fills her in she is more or less back at ease for a second. "He knows my coffee order. But that doesn't mean a thing, Ryan knows my coffee order."

 _I can think of worse ways to spend time than watching you snore._

"What did he just say? Is that flirting? No way, that is not possible. He is engaged. I am projecting and I am in need of a good girl talk back at the farm."

The way back to the farm is spent with friendly conversation and Clay even tells her some teenage stories about Caleb. The boy band thing sound hilarious and she is laughing just until she sees Caleb's warning look.

 _You know that word? Goodbye ... It's that thing that you can't seem to say to them either._


	2. The Siren

_You know that word? Goodbye ... It's that thing that you can't seem to say to them either._

"That old spiel again. When is that idiot going to realize that this is only a professional relationship."

Shelby had enough of this conversation and so she decided to end it with a quip about their mother choosing. She smiled to herself because she knew she had won, at least this 'argument'.

Down in the bunker Caleb quickly adapted and integrated himself in the task force and Shelby could see how unhappy Clay was with the prospect of them using his engagement party to trap the collaborators. But she nodded her head anyway. "It is the only way"

Maxine took the whole situation in more stride than Shelby had expected and over the time planning the two of them seemed to connect.

"It helps that I am already a member of the roster."

She hears the door open and registers Caleb's voice sending Maxine out of the room. "What does he want now?"

 _I know what you are doing. You position yourself as her friend so she wont worry when you're alone with Clay._

"I knew this was coming but why? We are planning his brothers engagement party and still he is insinuating I am going to mess it up! How dare he?"

Shelby is fuming inside and wants to hurt Caleb, so she tells him she never wants to see him again. Putting an end to that particular conversation.

The party is in full swing and Shelby has to admit Caleb's stalling tactic was a lot of fun to watch and hear. "That guy is unbelievable, but so creative."

After the party back in the bunker it seems like they could have a small success and Shelby desperately wants out of her shoes because they may look great but they are really uncomfortable.

As they all are getting up to leave Clay ask her to join him in his office for a private conversation and Caleb shoots her a look. "What is going on now?"

 _I love Maxine._

"Okay, where is this going?" _Okay, Non sequitur. Yeah, She is great._

When he is interrupting her, Shelby is even more confused. "What does he want me to say? Okay let's try bad mouthing"

And he is interrupting her again.

 _She is perfect. She is exactly the person I need to spend the rest of my life with._

"This conversation is going a really unexpected road. What is he trying to tell me? That he also thinks that I am hitting on him? Did Caleb say something?"

Shelby only heard some words of what was said next but she heard her name and something about being a siren that hurt father and brother.

 _I am pretty tired of hearing that everything was my fault._


	3. What now?

**Okay so since the last episode was kind of insane (or predictable or inevitable) depending on what mood I am in, I was expecting more ff fallout but couldn't yet find any. So I give you the next part of my little tale. Maybe I'll include the rest of the season too but for now on with the show :)**

* * *

 _Make me hate you again._

Shelby is pacing in her room once again. "God, what the hell was that? What can I do? It's not my fault!?"

After a few failed attempts to call and reach Alex she reaches a conclusion. There is really only one person who can help her right now. She just isn't sure she wants to give him the satisfaction that he was right.

Shelby grabs her phone and a coat of the hanger and decides to take a walk trying to clear her mind. "Maybe I can think of something else."

After two hours, as her phone told her she felt calm enough but had also reached the conclusion that she needed Caleb's help.

She dials his number and he actually picks up.

'Yeah? You know I was on my way to bed...' - 'Shut up you idiot. I need your help!' Caleb could hear the urgency and a tiny note of despair in her voice and was worried right away. 'What's going on? Where are you? Do you need me to call someone or get you?' - 'Can you meet me outside your door? I am waiting.'

Caleb stared at his phone. Shelby had disconnected the call after her last words. So he throws on a hoodie and pulls on a pair of boots and heads out. She sees her shivering. She is only wearing a coat over the dress from the party.

He quickly but awkwardly pulls her in a hug and leads her inside. 'Where is your room?' Caleb is confused but answers her anyway and watches her walk up the stairs. He boils some water and makes her a tea to warm her up. Then he follows her.

When he enters his room she is in a pair of his sweats and pulls a t-shirt over her head. After a while of Shelby just breathing in the warm tea he decides to try again. 'Shelby why are you here? What can I help you with? What happend?'

'If I tell you, you cannot say I told you so or laugh or be mad at me. It is not my fault, okay?' 'Okay?!' Caleb hears her out as she recites his brother emotional, well lets go with breakdown. 'And you figuerd the most effective way would be sleeping with me?!' he concluded for her.

'Yes but No. I was thinking about just pretending.'


	4. Charade

'Yes but No. I was thinking about just pretending.'

That was one of the few moments that Shelby had seen Caleb completely shocked and she didn't get a quip back.

For their little plan to work she would have to spend the night sometime, that much was clear. But what both of them hadn't counted on was that Clay would stay at the Farm that exact night.

Right when Shelby wanted to leave the duo heard the door downstairs. 'He is here?! Why is he here tonight?' Shelby panics and Caleb just grins at her. 'Then you stay here, too and we can get the charade over with tomorrow.'

The duo spend the night talking to each other for the first time in forever but stayed with the safe topics. Berkeley, future, hopes and dreams.

Caleb, knowing his brother suggested to get up really early and just get on with the show. She hesitated when he told her get out of the sweats and maybe grab his house coat before coming downstairs. 'If I remember correctly that nice piece you are wearing under my clothes will sell this story better than they will.' he teases with a smile and saunters out the room and down the stairs.

"Shake it off! It is the right thing to do after that speech!" Shelby tries to motivate herself as she slips out of the boroed sweats.

 _JFClay junior ... Don't you sleep?_

She hears their voices drift upstairs and she knows she has to move. "you can do this." Runs as a silent mantra and when she rounds the corner she can see his hurt expression.

She acts her way through a pretty unconvincing bit about having feelings for Caleb. Well she at least never says the words. Clay is just drawing his own conclusions. She is still in a daze when Caleb summarizes:

 _That worked?!_

 _It did._ _We should get dressed ... head to the bunker._

 _Actually I think it's time that I head back to school. ... You did the right thing._

* * *

 **Okay truth time: This is short but it is the best stopping point I could think of and I am seriously pissed off about the last episode. When you are looking for someone call their fiancée! Or did Shelby fall on her head and forget what kind of advice she gave Maxine?! Fingers crossed we get an explanation or maybe a Max/Shelby conversation in the finale.**


End file.
